We all know there is a significant lack of STEM skills in South Africa. There is also very little integration of the principles of sustainability in the school curriculum. This inhibits the potential for learners, especially those from under-resourced communities, to access the knowledge and skills they need to drive change towards a more resilient, sustainable world.
SAILI (the South African Innovative Leaning Initiative) was founded to support STEM subject learners from low income backgrounds and so to address the education injustices arising from Apartheid. SAILI’s central ethos is routed in the belief that South Africa will not prosper in the global marketplace unless we make the best use of the abundant latent talent within our borders.
Intelligence, talent, motivation, nobility, and grit are distributed across the entire economic spectrum of South Africa’s youth. That South Africa has an undiscovered population of talented youth, indeed some of its brightest young minds, living in low- income communities and are prevented from adding value to the economy because of obstacles to accessing quality education.
In a rapidly changing world, tomorrow’s future leaders need relevant learning for life, knowledge of the principles of sustainability, skills in mastering practical action related strategies that increase employability, promotes agility, flexibility and foresight. This is most especially relevant to SAILI students who seek a future in the fields of science, engineering and technology; fields with a significant opportunity to drive greater levels of sustainability in the world of tomorrow.
SAILI is focused on ensuring that talented young people who haven’t been able to access quality education are provided with the opportunity to shine and contribute as leaders. Recognising the growing need for youth to access more than good quality secondary education, for them to be able to think, live and lead sustainably, SAILI and Routes to Resilience have partnered to deliver the Sygnature programme in 2020. Today, some 50 Grade 8 and 9 SAILI learners are excitedly gearing up to begin their journey to develop Sygnature Skills whilst also gaining credits for the completion of a President’s Award at Silver level. Routes to Resilience’s programme will give them an added advantage of becoming future-fit, adaptive, creative and resilient active citizens with a sustainability mindset.
SAILI learners will benefit from Routes to Resilience’s participation in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. You can #giveafuture and have your support matched if you give to the campaign anytime between December 3rd and December 10th.
If you want to participate in a Sygnature Award programme or if you would like the programme to be introduced into your school, email info@routes2resilience.org
Read more about the Sygnature Programme or look at our workshops and professional development offerings.
